The practice of human rights is an ethical, legal, political, and social phenomenon. Human rights express values transverse to the international community and the domestic communities of states and they are able to activate the logics of cooperation that transcend national affiliations. These are rights which need to be recognized and respected through legal tools by the institutions that have the power to do it, but it is quite clear that these forces are not enough. We can see the confirmation in the emergence of non-governmental organizations in the international legal scene, but also observing the courage of many men and women capable of intervening decisively in social and political processes of protection.

The respect for the dignity of people at the core of human rights requires the involvement of all possible political and legal resources, but also social, and cultural ones. In this context, the media are important interlocutors and mediators of awareness processes and promoters of movements of the domestic and international civil society.

The panel discussion aims to encourage reflection on the role that cinema and the documentary can play in this sense, showing the reality with their own means of expression, making the invisible visible, highlighting the problematic nature of the issues. In particular, the focus of the debate is the freedom of expression, even in its most extreme forms, as in the case of the controversial “hate speeches.” The challenges that human rights aim to face also depend on the existence of an attentive and rational public opinion, that is not satisfied with achieved outcomes, with simple stereotypes and with easy and comfortable clichés. (I.T.)